August 30, 2009

AGP’s Muslims leaders may join AUDF or TMC

SILCHAR, Aug 29: A major group of Muslim leaders of the AGP’s Cachar district unit has been contemplating on joining either the AUDF or the Trinamool Congress. Admitting the report, former AGP MLA Sahidul Alom Choudhury, who is a steering committee member of the party, told The Sentinel that if the AGP leadership did not disassociate itself from the BJP, even majority of Hindu leaders of the party would be forced to quit the party for the sake their political existence. Sahidul, a close confidante of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, hinted that they had been offered by the AUDF.Meanwhile, confirming the report, AUDF working president Hafiz Rashid Choudhury told The Sentinel that parleys between a section of AGP leaders and AUDF had been continuing for the last couple of weeks. He added that some minority leaders from the Congress were also willing to join the AUDF before the 2011 Assembly elections.Citing the incident of AASU cadres demonstrating black flag to the AGP for highlighting Mahanta once again, Sahidul hinted that the present leadership might succumb to the pressure of the student body. Sources said Sahidul and some other Muslim leaders had a detailed discussion with Mahanta in this regard.Meanwhile, sources said Sahidul may join the TMC. Even an effort was initiated to bring the TMC and the AUDF in the same platform in order to strengthen the ties between Hindu and Muslim Bengali-speaking communities. Sahidul did not rule out the possibility. He said in 1996 under the leadership of Mahanta, the AGP formed a coalition government with the secular parties and came to power. But in 2001 the AGP’s alliance with the BJP spelt doom for the regional party, but the party did not take any lesson from its mistake, he added. (Source - Sentinel Assam)